I have pecked away for the last 4 hours trying to catch up for not being able to access the forum for any "real" time for the last 4 days. Noticing my ticker getting to 697, 698, 699 for total posts, I just wanted to announce that I have completed my outprocessing from more than 21 years of active duty with the US Army, and am proud to announce this with a milestone post in the SMF.
Reaching my 700th post, I didn't just want to say "looks great!" to someone's chicken thigh post. I think I have made a lot of virtual friends here in the forum (ain't gonna list names lest I forget to mention someone), and just wanted to share this incredible milestone in my life with friends.
While running up to retirement, I envisioned the moment as being one of the happiest moments of my life. After my final personnel and finance processing I had to go to my unit's personnel section and sign out of the unit. Completing that, I left the building with a big smile on my face. Half way to the truck, I felt like I got donkey-kicked in the chest. What I have been doing for the entirety of my adult life was now over.
Well, I still don't know what's next, but I have almost two months of terminal leave to figure it out. Fishing? Definitely!! Golf? Need golf balls that float. Two sons visit me for every summer, gonna make it the best summer yet!!
Many of you have known this day was coming for me and have offered some outstanding words of thanks and encouragement. Those kind words from you all have meant every bit as much to me as my wife and my mother telling me the same, through their tears, every time I came home with the news that I was heading "over there".
With my wife pulling duty out of state with the USAF Reserves (my one year old is with her), and my other two boys here two weeks later, my Father's Day is petty much going to suck. So what do do??? I'm gonna smoke 8 chickens and 8 salmon fillets! Of course, Q-View will accompany...
If you bothered to read this whole post, thanks for bearing with me!!!
Ken
Reaching my 700th post, I didn't just want to say "looks great!" to someone's chicken thigh post. I think I have made a lot of virtual friends here in the forum (ain't gonna list names lest I forget to mention someone), and just wanted to share this incredible milestone in my life with friends.
While running up to retirement, I envisioned the moment as being one of the happiest moments of my life. After my final personnel and finance processing I had to go to my unit's personnel section and sign out of the unit. Completing that, I left the building with a big smile on my face. Half way to the truck, I felt like I got donkey-kicked in the chest. What I have been doing for the entirety of my adult life was now over.
Well, I still don't know what's next, but I have almost two months of terminal leave to figure it out. Fishing? Definitely!! Golf? Need golf balls that float. Two sons visit me for every summer, gonna make it the best summer yet!!
Many of you have known this day was coming for me and have offered some outstanding words of thanks and encouragement. Those kind words from you all have meant every bit as much to me as my wife and my mother telling me the same, through their tears, every time I came home with the news that I was heading "over there".
With my wife pulling duty out of state with the USAF Reserves (my one year old is with her), and my other two boys here two weeks later, my Father's Day is petty much going to suck. So what do do??? I'm gonna smoke 8 chickens and 8 salmon fillets! Of course, Q-View will accompany...
If you bothered to read this whole post, thanks for bearing with me!!!
Ken
